Household appliances such as a top-loading washing machine include a lid or door pivotal about a horizontal axis for manual movement between open and closed positions relative to the access opening of the machine. With conventional top-loading machines, there is a potential that the lid or door can accidentally drop from the open position, thereby risking injury to a person who is reaching into the machine.
Other appliances, such as ovens and dishwashers, are front-loading, with a door pivotally mounted for manual movement about a horizontal axis between open and closed positions. In these front-loading appliances, unless the door is latched in the closed position, if the person lets go of the door, the door will fall open in an uncontrolled manner. Such falling of the door to the open position risks injury to a person""s leg and puts excess strain on the mounting hardware of the door.
Other appliances, such as a refrigerator, which have a door mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis, require that the door be manually pulled open. Such pulling of the door may be difficult for person who has both hands full. Also, it is not unusual for the refrigerator door to be swung toward the closed position, yet remain slightly and unknowingly ajar.
Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved appliance having a lid or door which overcomes the problems associated with prior art lids and doors.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved appliance having a door which will automatically move to the open position in a controlled manner when the door latch is released.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an appliance having a gas-discharge strut to control the opening of the appliance door.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved appliance having a door with a push-push latch which is pushed to close the door and pushed to open the door.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an appliance having an improved door construction which is economically manufactured and durable in use.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.
The present invention is directed towards the door of an appliance having either a top-opening or a front-opening for access to the chamber or compartment within the cabinet of the appliance. The appliance door may be pivotal about either a horizontal or vertical axis for movement between open and closed positions. The appliance includes a gas-discharge cylinder mounted within the cabinet and having an arm which can be extended or retracted. A bent lever arm is connected to the cylinder arm and to the door. When the cylinder is actuated to extend the arm thereof, the lever arm pivots the door to the open position. The door can be pushed to a closed position, thereby retracting the cylinder arm. The appliance includes a push-push latch for the door, such that the door is pushed to latch the door in the closed position and pushed to release the latch for movement of the door by the cylinder to the open position. If the door does not fully close, the cylinder will automatically re-open the door so that a person can see that the door did not latch in the closed position.